The costs of surgical procedures to change one's sex from either female to male or male to female are covered now under Cuba's universal health care system.

Go Cuba!

In the United States, while we continue to watch the battle in Congress over what remains of the proposed health care reform bill, we need only look a few miles south to see what universal health care for all people can really look like.

In Cuba two weeks ago, the country began offering state-sponsored gender reassignment surgeries. That is, the costs of surgical procedures to change one’s sex from either female to male or male to female are covered under the country’s universal health care system.

Cuba is also seeing a push toward greater inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in politics and for the legalization of same-sex unions.

What Is Gender Reassignment Surgery

Historically, such medical processes have been called “sex changes” or “sex reassignment surgeries.” Many, but not all, people who are transgender, that is their sense of their gender does not match with their physical sex (e.g., anatomy, especially genitals, chromosomes, hormones), seek medical procedures to alter their bodies to become consistent with their gender identity.

The process of transitioning from female to male or male to female is often not limited to simply surgically altering one’s genitals, but often includes “top surgery” (the removal of breasts or getting breast implants), hair removal, and taking hormones (usually testosterone for transgender men and estrogen for transgender women).

Today, however, because of the high costs of transitioning (both financial and physical pain) and the loosening of the idea that female = vagina and male = penis, more and more transgender people are opting not to seek surgery (including “bottom surgery” or altering one’s genitals surgically).

Also, some people are now identifying as genderqueer, which means that their gender identity is neither “woman” nor “man” and they typically do not seek to transition to either male or female.

Will The US Join Cuba?

I do not mean to be a pessimist, but considering how ugly the health care reform debate has gotten in the United States, I cannot imagine that our health care system will be covering the high costs of gender reassignment surgeries any time soon.

For example, a few months ago in Fort Worth, Texas, a proposal to have the local government cover the costs of such surgeries with tax-payer money (as it could and does for other medical treatment) was met with hostility directed toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

With little mass awareness of the experiences of transgender people, many people are resistant to supporting such initiatives as they do not view one’s treatment to transition from female to male or male to female as necessary or urgent. However, given the severe health consequences people face when they experience an inconsistency between their gender and their sex, between their heart and mind and their body, it is important that we recognize the importance of medical options to allow individuals to feel comfortable in their own bodies.

received his PhD in sociology at Indiana University. He is an Assistant Professor at the University of Richmond. Dr. Grollman's research interests lie in medical sociology, social psychology, sexualities, and race/gender/class. You can see his personal blog at http://egrollman.com.

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Cuban officials announced earlier this month that free sex-change surgery is now available to citizens. The operations are included as part of Cuba’s health care plan, one of the newest changes that has come to Cuba with Raul Castro as President

bettysmorgas

Give me a goddamn break! The only thing good about Cuba is a cigar! And watercraft building.

This makes me think of Iran where gender reassignment surgery is paid for by the government. On the outside this looks great! But when you dig a little deeper you find that this is because being gay is seen as a “defect,” therefore the Imams (Muslim Clerics) are giving a “path to fix God's mistake.” What this does is it makes gender reassignment surgery a way for gay men to live with the ones they love while also staying close (geographically) to their family. In the documentary “Be Like Others” (http://www.belikeothers.com/) on trans women in Iran, the film maker asks them if they hadn't lived in Iran would they had gone through the sex change and most of them said no. Very sad.

But it seems like Cuba is being more and more open to LGBT folks by doing this, rather than attempting to “fix” them. Great article!

StereoID

I think health care should cover for such surgery in special cases where you actually need that surgery to be a normal person. I wouldn't agree to covering a surgery for people that want to do that just because they discovered a new mini-me inside… which wants to change his/her sex…

StereoID

Some things are just way too exagerated and this is the case with Cuba. I don't think that gender reassingment is a health insurance problem. It could be, but first you would have to develop your economy in order to be able to actually sustain that over a period of time.

autraveldeals

I have to disagree with this decision. I mean ok if you're born with 2 organs then they have to cover the expense but changing genders is somewhat “optional” as its not life threatening. This should not be covered by universal health care that's for sure.

It's like going to your government asking for money after being admited at Narconon. Should the government pay for your addiction ? No. Should they offer guidance/help you overall yes but that's another discussion.

Alexa

Ajay

The first priority is to determine how to construct a new health care exchange through which thongs individuals can shop for insurance.

Puppet_Micha

That's quite hats down for Cuba. They acknowledge the fact that it's better to keep something under control than reject the whole idea altogether and deal with the more severe repercussions later.